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Vanessa Marie Bryant was born on May 5, 1982, in Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant Sofía Urbieta, according to Wikipedia. Raised by a hardworking single mom, she grew up in Garden Grove and attended Marina High School in Huntington Beach.
In 1999 she was offered work as a music video extra and backup dancer, appearing in videos for artists such as Krayzie Bone and Snoop Dogg. That November, while dancing in Tha Eastsidaz video "G'd Up," she met Kobe Bryant, who was on set working on a rap album. She finished her senior year through independent study and graduated in 2000. They married on April 18, 2001.
In 2007 she and Kobe founded the VIVO Foundation, later renamed the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation, which gives scholarships to minority college students and other young people around the world and has worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 2020 she renamed Kobe's Mamba Sports Foundation the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which supports underserved young athletes. In May 2021 she launched a Mambacita clothing line with the female-owned brand Dannijo, with all proceeds going to the foundation.
She has served as president and CEO of Granity Studios, the production company Kobe launched in 2013.
In October 2026 she was in the audience as her eldest daughter, Natalia Bryant, walked her first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, according to Harper's Bazaar. Read Who is Natalia Bryant?
Sources: Wikipedia
Our newest Vanessa Bryant story, from October 19, 2026, is "Who Is Natalia Bryant? The USC Film Grad Who Walked the Victoria's Secret Runway With Her Favorite Angel": She binge-watched old VS shows to prepare, and her all-time favorite Angel, Candice Swanepoel, was walking the very same show. Meet the IMG model and USC film grad behind the debut.
On April 18, 2001 (Wikipedia).
The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which supports underserved young athletes (Wikipedia).
On the set of Tha Eastsidaz music video "G'd Up" in November 1999 (Wikipedia).
